Category: Articles

The Hayrat Publishing Translation Committee What type of book is the Risale-i Nur? Many new readers of The Book of Light, especially in translation, note that it is not easy to place in a single genre. It variously embodies aspects of theology and Qur’anic exegesis, sometimes in the form of allegorical narrative, at other times in the more conventional form of scholarly treatise. At first glance, some parts of the Risale-i Nur seem similar to Sufi litany, and even philosophy and poetry. However, for Nursi, it is neither; the direct…

Risale-i Nur explains the divine truths of the Qur’an and Sunnah in a clear and convincing way. Almighty Allah says in the Qur’an, “Allah is the nur (light) of the heavens and the earth. The example of His nur is like a niche within which is a lamp; the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire.…

Risale-i Nur is a mujaddid that has done the duty of revival in terms of preserving the tenets of faith. Altınbaşak Academic Research Board Imam Bediuzzaman Said Nursi and Risale-i Nur introduced the Qur’an and its effectiveness in a way suitable for understanding in this century. He and Risale-i Nur deserve the title given by Prophet (pbuh) in this hadith “Allah (swt) shall raise for this Ummah at the head of every century a man who shall renew (or revive) this religion.” 1 Imam Said Nursi states in his dream which…

Imam Said Nursi defended the tenets of iman against the disbelief and saved the faith of millions of people with the strong rational evidences he presented in the Risale-i Nur. Imam Bediuzzaman Said Nursi lived at such a time that the Risale-i Nur struggle can only be understood by realizing the spirit of the time during Imam Nursi lived. It was during his life period with the exploration and advancement of the steam power that humanity had entered into a new era; a change from the agriculture base to the…

Risale-i Nur is such a strong tafseer, which expresses, explains, and proves the truths of faith of the Qur’an with strong evidence and proof, that it silences the most obstinate philosophers who deny the existence of Allah Subhanahu wa Taʿala. By Altınbaşak Academic Research Board Commentary is described shortly as, “Exploring, expressing and showing the secret meanings of the Holy Qur’an.” Abu Hamid Al Ghazali compares the Holy Qur’an to an ocean without a shore. There are pearls, rubies and jewels in the deep of this vast ocean. The Commentary…

The Qur’an is the inimitable, eternal Divine address to mankind. *This article is the transcription of a talk given in a workshop. The Qur’anic Miracles (al-Mu’jizatul Qur’aniyya) is one of the most important “risalas” (which means epistle or treatise) in the Risale-i Nur. And the subject is al Mu’jizat al-Qur’aniyya, the Qur’anic miracles, the miraculousness or as you might call it inimitability of the Qur’an. Iʿjaz (اعجاز) literally means to make someone impotent, to make someone powerless, and to make someone unable to act. What the Qur’an does in its…

The Risale-i Nur provides the most effective ways of acquiring critically verified faith in an age when faith is being attacked through reason, philosophy and science by atheistic circles. “I created jinn and mankind only to worship Me.” (Dhariyat, 51:56) This noble verse expresses that the wisdom and purpose behind mankind’s being sent to this world is nothing but recognising Allah (SWT) and believing in Him and worshipping Him. The most significant duty incumbent upon mankind is believing in Him and acquiring His marifah (knowledge) and recognising His existence and…

How to keep away from committing sins in modern times is a thorny issue to handle for they are widespread and even those who have strong belief may experience difficulty. The Risale-i Nur applies solutions which seem unprecedented. THE RISALE-I NUR HEALS TWO DIRE SITUATIONS IN THESE TIMES In the previous section, while explaining Imam’s being mujaddid, we had said that the activities of faith and guiding are the most important two proofs of his being mujaddid. We want to dwell on these two issues a little more. Imam Bediuzzaman…

It is hard to define and categorize Risale-i Nur as a collection of Islamic books. Is it a kind of tafsir or a book of irshad? How shall we define it? People who just come across it may sometimes find it difficult to get started, and to comprehend it and get benefit from it. Here is the first of a series of articles aiming at introducing it to the world of readers. 1. WHY WAS IT GIVEN THE NAME “RISALE-I NUR” [Treatises of Light]? Imam Bediuzzaman Said Nursi describes how…

In the face of regime’s oppression Risale-i Nur movement has adopted the positive attitude as a way of existence and performing service to faith. The positive attitude in Risale-i Nur movement can be defined briefly as follows: To carry out our service without causing chaos, anarchy or violence, infringing the security and rights of other people and focusing on our duty with patience and endurance without being persistent about the results which are determined by will of Allah (SWT). Positive attitude means to establish the peaceful and safe atmosphere in which…